1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved towing harness for water recreation devices.
2. Background Information
Water recreation devices such as kick boards, water skis, knee boards, and surf boards have been around for a long time. Some are designed to be towed behind a boat or vessel and some are designed to be used by themselves in waves or currents. Kick boards and water skis have provided enjoyment for many years. Kick boards are generally used by swimmers for recreation or training. The swimmer can either hold the buoyant kick board out in front of himself or partially lie on the kick board to provide buoyancy while he kicks or trains. Water skis are an exciting way for a rider to stand up in the water and be towed by a boat or vessel at high speeds. Knee boards have made a more recent appearance on the water recreation scene. A rider kneels on the buoyant knee board and pulls a strap over his lap. The knee board rider can then be pulled by a boat or jet ski as he holds onto a tow rope. Surfers enjoy riding surf boards in many different positions, but generally, surf boards are not towed behind any sort of boat or vessel. Even though these recreational devices have been around for many years, their popularity has not diminished, in fact, many new models of each type are successfully introduced each year.
However, none of these devices combine the excitement and versatility of being towed by a boat or vessel and being able to ride the device in many different positions--or to spontaneously change riding positions--while retaining an option of either holding onto a tow rope, holding onto the device, or riding "hands-free." For example, none of these devices is designed to be pulled by a boat or vessel and to allow the rider to lie, sit, kneel, or stand on the device; however, the present invention does just that. It is a water recreation board that allows a rider to assume almost any position on the board--or to spontaneously change positions--and be towed by a boat or vessel, while maintaining an option of either holding onto a tow rope, holding onto the board, or riding hands-free and letting the tow rope pull the board.
The present invention is directed to an improved towing harness for pulling recreation boards behind a power boat or behind a jet-ski or similar craft. The improved towing harness is especially useful in combination with towable recreation boards which have a curved surface or other surface specialized for engaging the surface of the water, and an opposing surface for receiving the rider.
Such boards when flipped over during the towing will dive under the surface of the water and place tremendous force on the tow rope and the board itself. This can cause damage to the tow rope and/or the board. This can actually snap the board if the towing vessel is traveling fast enough.
The invention of the improved towing harness is especially useful in a specialty board which is the subject of the following co-pending patent application which is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: U.S. patent application Ser. No. 081942,470, filed on Oct. 2, 1997, and which is entitled "Water Recreation Board With Pass Through Tow Rope", which is the invention of Keith Parten, a co-inventor of this application.
However, the utility of the present invention is not limited to this recreation device. It has equal utility with more conventional recreation boards which do not allow the tow rope to be freely passable through the body of the board, but which instead has a more fixed position or relationship between the tow rope and the recreation board itself.